Discovering Umbria

10/26/2016

Amaro and Piccante: the taste of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For almost 10 years, in this blog, we have spilled rivers of ink to celebrate one of the top products of our Umbria: wine.We also talked about another great product of our land, the extra virgin olive oil, but not enough.At the very beginning of the new olive oil season 2016, just started in the region, it's time to make amends and to speak here and now - as we have done several times with wine - about the taste and the aromas, the so called organoleptic qualities of olive oil, to pay homage to this extraordinary food, that makes us, Umbrians, so proud.

What does "extra virgin" means?Probably wandering around the shelves of any supermarket abroad, you may have noticed different labels. Well, forget them: they do not exist because the only olive oil that you should buy is the "extra virgin."Why? Because extravirginis the only one that is produced by a simple pressing of the olives. Other
grades like “olive oil” are usually made using chemicals or other
processes to extract the oil from the olives, or they are just bad extra virgin - like the one named "virgin", without the "extra" in front. In addition, extra virgin oil must
meet certain laboratory tests and must taste like fresh olives without any negative tastes that professionals refer to as “defects".

Does extra virgin olive oil always mean high quality oil?
Well, this is a very crucial point. Beyond the label "extra virgin" there's an entire world of very different quality oils. As you can see from the supermarket shelves, you can find some bottles [in Italy] starting at 3,99 up to 12-16 Eur or more per liter in specialized food shops.
Why such a huge difference? The reasons are different and the origin of the olives plays a very important role: "bottled in Italy" is not enough to be a guarantee of quality.

Learn how to taste EVOO with us!

Our senses are the key: "Amaro" and "Piccante"
Despite the consumers are very often disoriented by tricky information like "first press" [there's no second press at all in modern extra virgin olive oil extraction!], Mother Nature gave us, all of us, a nose and a mouth.
The aroma and the taste of an extra virgin olive oil can tell all the important information about its quality to the consumer.Nose:
In a high level EVOO from Umbria, you may immediately notice the smell of fresh-cut grass, green olive fruit, vegetable notes like fresh artichoke.Mouth:
The two sensations that are prevalent in a high quality oil are basically two. In Italian we describe it as amaro and piccante. While the second, piccante, refers to a peppery sensation, detected in the throat, the first word amaro can be sometimes "lost in translation". Literally amaro means bitter and maybe in English this adjective could be perceived as negative, while referring to an olive oil, it is very positive. When we say bitter, we talk about a very pleasant bitterness that is associated more to a very dry and clean sensation of a fresh, fruity oliveon our palate, very persistent.

Is high quality extra virgin olive oil good for our health? Why?
Yes, it definitely is. Differently from other oils like corn or sunflower, olive oil is the only one that comes from a fresh fruit.

Here the 5 reasons to have it every day:

1. It contains polyphenols, antioxidants that slow the aging of cells down2. It helps to produce good cholesterol (HDL), which helps to keep the arteries clean3. It is the only oil that is 100% digestible, supporting the digestive activity and renal function4. It is a natural anti-inflammatory5. Usedevery day, it has anti-cancer properties

Interested in learning more? Join us in Umbria!

Our extra virgin olive oil tours run all year round not only during the period of the new oil (mid October - beginning of December).
The olive oil farms and mills we cooperate with offer tasting all year round and visits to the olive groves to learn all the secrets of this great product directly from the producers in person.
Thanks to special stainless steel tanks that preserve the oil from the natural oxidation process, you'll have always the opportunity to taste the amaro and piccante, together with the fresh cut grass and artichokes aroma. It's not a promise, it's a guarantee!

If you are so lucky to be here in Umbria in the month of November, we are cooperating with the local cultural association Brumalia in the organization of an itinerant course in different olive oil mills in the area of Orvieto, during this special period of olive picking and pressing! Contact us for further information!

8/25/2016

24th August 2016 h. 03.32

Dear friends and followers,
In these days we are receiving many emails and messages from you after the earthquake that hit some areas of Central Italy during the night of the 24th August. We have already replied to all of you who were so nice to contact us on the social media and by email.
We are so moved, thank you!

This is just to inform you all that we are fine and safe.
Our town Todi is more than 100Km from the area of the quake. We felt the strokes and we woke up. In Todi, we remained in our homes during all that night as it was not necessary to stay outside the buildings. As we said, we were very far from the epicenter that was west-northwest of Accumoli in the province of Rieti in the region of Lazio.Our thoughts go to those poor people who have lost their lives, especially in Amatrice, region of Lazio, that is almost completely devasted.

Unfortunately many media are spreading wrong information on the affected areas.
On the other end, many blogs and other independent media, both local and international - that really know the geography of Italy- are informing travellers in a very reliable and professional way in order not to panic, something that professional journalists should do, but don't! Because today is important to "shout" the news, right of wrong, it seems that it doesn't matter...

Among the several independent media, we suggest you to follow the news in English by Dream of Italy TV Show + Travel Newsletter in the link below.

For those who want to donate there are also useful information on Red Cross and other associations who are organizing fund raising campaigns.

Another very informative post has been just put together by our dear friends at Browsing Italy showing a series of very accurate maps to point out the areas seriously hit on the night of the 24th August.

5/13/2016

Todi Fiorita 2016 - Flowerpower in the historic centre

From next Friday20 to Sunday May 22, 2016 Todi Fiorita, flower and gardening exhibition - organized by the local association Verdetodi and the City Hall of Todi - is back in town!The event - ninth edition - is hosting more than fifty exhibitors: farmers, growers, keepers of rare seeds, exterior and interior designers, gardeners, craftsmen, small producers of excellent food and natural cosmetics. The event is taking place in the historic centerof Todi: Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Garibaldi, San Fortunato's steps, Oberdan Gardens. The flower and gardening fair is opening on Friday 20 at 4pm, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 from 9.30am to 8pmThe programme also includes concerts and art events among the beautiful colours and scents:

This ninth edition is devoted to the Biodiversity and the preservation of the Umbrian environment with an area [Vaults of the Municipal Buildings and Piazza Garibaldi] dedicated to ancient tree and fruit varieties, ancient legumes and rare seeds saved from the exinction.

2/08/2016

Umbria: a "plain air" painter's heaven

We are very happy to host a new guest post&interview to our friend Caridad Barragan.Caridad is a professional painter originally from Southern California, now living and working in Umbria.

Caridad,
tell us where are you from and why you “dropped” in UmbriaI’m
originally from Anaheim in Southern California, which is where
Disneyland is. Like the majority of Americans, my parents are
immigrants. My father is from Mexico City and my mother is from
Havana. I’ve
been living in Italy since 1991. Initially I was living in Veneto,
but after 15 years in that cold, damp and foggy Italian province I
needed a change of scenery. A dear sculpture friend of mine from Los
Angeles was visiting me in the summer of 2005 and invited me down to
Porchiano del Monte, a small medieval hamlet perched on a hill
overlooking the Tiber Valley. It was love at first sight: the
endless views unto the Tuscan and Lazio hills, the peace and
tranquillity of the landscape and people living there. And don’t
get me talking about the food and wine!So
basically after my daughter had finished her elementary school we
packed our things into a nice big van and made the trip south.

Tell
us more about your work. What’s it like being a professional
painter in Umbria?

Umbria
is a creative person’s dream! I have friends that are writers,
journalists, singers and musicians that have all chosen to live here
year round or for some months at a time. There’s a genuineness to
the people, landscape and even the air that you breathe that sets the
region apart. I often say to my foreign friends that I live in a
place that doesn’t exist anymore. It seems as if time has stopped.
It’s a place where people actually have the time for the simple
and essential things such as cultivating the veggie patch, producing
ones own wine & extra virgin olive oil or simply chatting with
your neighbor. And
ohhh, the landscape! When the weather warms up, Umbria is a plein air
painter’s heaven. The light itself is so particular as are the
colors of the ever-changing seasons.

Is
there anything you found particularly challenging in your profession
here?

"Vineyards" by C.Barragan

Once
I decided to move down here from the north, I immediately realized
that job opportunities would be a challenge. I knew internet was
going to play a fundamental role in creating my livelihood. After
having settled down, I decided to begin selling my still life &
Umbrian landscape paintings online through Etsy. It has been a learning
experience and professional challenge but I find it fascinating to be
living in such a tiny town and selling my Umbrian wares in countries
such as Japan, Australia & the US.

Do
you have any advice for tourists who want to visit Umbria?

copyright C.Barragan

Umbria
is so rich in history, art, architecture, culinary traditions and
natural beauty. It’s got something for everybody. It’s not very well known to the masses which means they’ll be
able to take it in slowly and thoroughly. I advise to spend at least
10 days in the region. Why not make Todi your homebase? It’s
conveniently located smack in the middle of the region and close to
the major cities like Orvieto, Perugia, Assisi and Montefalco but
also surrounded by small charming hamlets that come to life during
various local summer festivals.

If
you had to paint your last painting on Umbria, what would you choose?

copyright C.Barragan

What
a question!I
think I would paint a late summer sunset from the walls of Porchiano
del Monte. It’s an absolutely breathtaking view and each sunset
has its own beauty. The elderly in town always gravitate toward the
walls when the sun starts going down. I personally prefer to take a
nice fresh Grechetto and sip it as I watch this daily miracle pass.
You’ve got to come and see it for yourself. Better yet, let me
take you!

What are your future plans here?

Well
besides organizing my cool Travel Sketchbook Workshops in Todi where
we can have fun sketching and discovering corners and niches of the
town, this year I’m launching an innovative service in Italy: Live
Event Painting for luxury destination weddings and celebrations.
I’m really looking forward to capturing the magic and feel of a
wedding celebration on canvas right before the public’s eyes. 2016
is going to be awesome!

12/30/2015

Merry Sagrantino 2015: in the Court of the King

I think that in several years of blogging and touring wineries with travelers, the amount of ink and words that I've poured on this topic is really huge.

Sagrantino, like all the other complex wines of Italy, is always a surprise, there's always something new to know, to think about, to meditate on, each time it is in my glass.

The occasion came once again thanks to the invitation by Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco, association of wine makers of Montefalco wine area, for the annual event Merry Sagrantino, organized by Consorzio for the promotion of the wines and food from this territory.

Merry Sagrantino - now at its fourth edition - takes place every year the week before Christmas in Montefalco and it is a way to celebrate the festivities and/with this special wine.

The event is growing year by year: last time I took part to it we were in the beautiful headquarters of Consorzio, this year in the stunning Sala del Comune, the ancient main hall inside the building of Montefalco municipality.

The beautiful ceiling at Sala del Comune

Merry Sagrantino is a very interesting guided tasting, open not only to wine specialists, but to anyone: winelovers, tourists and local people. Always lead by a collegue certified sommelier, this year we had on our glasses six wines produced in this Umbrian terroir: a white and the five reds Sagrantino based, of course.

It's not be news that this area is famous for its red wines production, in which Sagrantino grape - the indigenous local variety - rules.

In the Court of King Sagrantino there are also white varieties like Trebbiano Spoletino, another local grape that has been cultivated here for centuries, originally in the ancient way of training the vine called vite maritata, a very old practice of cultivation - used even by the Romans - of training vines to grow up along living tree trunks. Rare examples are still visible in some vineyards in this wine area, as the one we had the fortune to see in "flesh and blood" in Castel Ritaldi a couple of years ago.

Grown in the valley facing Spoleto, this kind of Trebbiano, fruity and mineral, could become the next white star of this territory. Some important labels started a very interesting production some years ago and now other wineries are making new experiments.

Following Trebbiano refreshing entry, we went on with a Montefalco Rosso and a very pleasant Montefalco Rosso Riserva, to end with two Sagrantino-s dry and one sweet.

Given for granted that nothing in wine is permanent, wine is something "alive", that changes and can change in the years, as well as the perception and ideas we have on it, I can say that year after year, tasting after tasting, sip after sip of this unique, very complex and powerful wine, I came to two undiscutable axioms on Sagrantino [drum roll!]:

Beautiful Montefalco adorned for Christmas

Sagrantino Axiom 1: give it time. Be patient. Let it breath.

The power of the tannins of this wine demands patience, patience in waiting for years, before opening the bottle. According to the regulation of production Sagrantino needs to be aged in
barrels [and refined in bottle] for a minimun of 37 months and this is mandatory. But the very best, the top Sagrantino-s I've ever tasted were much older. The tannins that in young ones can be too astringent, in older Sagrantino become very elegant, refined and sofisticated, sometimes an incredible surprise for a wine that is often considerated too powerful.

Patience also means "let it breath". I'm not a fan of the decanter, not at all of those electronic weird gadgets that promise to "oxigenate" your wine in few seconds...be careful! They only stress the wine, especially the old vintages.

Just remember to be patient, once again, opening the bottle at least 1 hour, better if more, before your dinner.

Sagrantino Axiom 2: give it food; proper food.

I ended the sentence above with the word "dinner". Sagrantino requires foods, because it is not a "middle-class guy", but a King that gives its specific rules. Like important red wines of Italy, for example Amarone, it needs food that can "resist" to its complexity and tannins. Saying "cheese", infact, it is not enough, you need an aged or even ultra-aged cheese for the old vintages. Same for "meat". A simple veal steak is not enough. The King loves game, of course, and wild boar, hare and everything is included in this list, it's fine.

10/27/2015

EXPO 2015: "Feeding the planet" or just a Big Show?

At the end of this week, on the 31st October, the Universal Exhibition 2015 held in Milano, EXPO2015 is going to close its gates forever.

Opened last May 1st, during this six-month period, Milano has become a global showcase where more than 140 participating countries have shown
the best of their technology to offer - according to the organizers - "a concrete answer to a vital
need: being able to guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for
everyone, while respecting the Planetand its equilibrium".

History

Pavilion Zero was a "must do" to understand the theme

The very first edition of the Universal Exhibition was in 1851 in London, during the Industrial Revolution, a perfect time to show "the most ambitious successes
that man has achieved over time, an occasion to share
technologies, innovation and discoveries. It was also a moment to bring
to life architectural projects or artistic movements, like the Eiffel tower
which was built in Paris when the city hosted the Exposition in 1889".

Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life

The core theme of Expo Milano 2015, Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life has the aim to provide an opportunity to reflect upon, and try to find
solutions, to the contradictions of our world. There
are still the hungry - approximately 870 million people were
undernourished - and, on the other, there are
those who die from aliments linked to poor nutrition or too much food - approximately 2.8 million deaths from diseases related to obesity or to
being overweight in the same period. Above all, about 1.3 billion
tons of foods are wasted every year.

My visit

Although I've heard many rumors and read many articles and blog posts on the several contradictions of EXPO 2015 in the realization and promotion of the core theme; Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life - basically the importance of Food in human civilization in the past, present and, above all, future- was too crucial for my work to miss it.

In addition the last time that the Universal Exhibition was held in Italy was in 1906! An opportunity that happens very rarely in our Country.
Therefore, as soon as my working season has slowed down, I jumped to Milano [13th and 14th October 2015, at the beginning of the week, trying to avoid the following problems]

The long infinite queues
One of the most important complain I've heard about EXPO 2015 was the long infinite queues anywhere. This was partially true. The most famous pavilions like the Italian, Japanese, Swiss, and several other ones, were really "off-limits". In particular the Italian one had more than 4 hours of queue at 10AM, at the opening time! Not the Italian wine pavilion, that at 11.AM was almost deserted.

Italian wine Pavilion

This was probably due to the fact that for many people tasting wine in the morning is a little bit weird. Tasting wine is very different than drinking wine: you don't need to drink all the glass, just a couple of sips can give you an idea of the quality of a wine.
I enjoyed a lot this pavilion where I could taste more than a couple of top level wines I've never had the opportunity to drink [10 Euros for 3 tastings of wine, not so bad if you are able to find what you want among around 3500 different ones from all over the Peninsula!].
Not far from the Italian pavilion, there was Franciacorta, one of the most important regions of Italy for the production of great spumante [the Champagne-style wine, produced in Italy and called Metodo Classico wines]. Here I could taste an amazing Riserva from 2006, at 12 Eur/glass. Not so bad, for the very special edition and label.

My stop at the Umbrian wines

The long queues pushed me to change the priorities in my tour: I decided to get into the pavilions that had less crowds. In this way I could visit countries which I didn't know, like Turkmenistan, Belarus, Moldova, Angola, Slovenia and many others. In particular, I enjoyed a lot the Slovenian one, which really made me think to spend a vacation in this beautiful and very close Country.
Another area that was almost empty was the Clusters where different communities where brought together, not by geographical area, but by a common theme and food group: rice, fruits and legumes, cereals and tubers etc. Among the 9 themes, I loved in particular the Coffee one where I could drink apleasant coffee from Guatemala [free offer], and the Bio-Mediterrean one where I tasted the very first extra virgin olive oil of the new season: a "just-pressed" evoo from Sicily [pressed at EXPO 2015 thanks to a portable mini-olive press].

Food
As the core theme was Food, with capital F, I've heard that many people were disappointed about the quality of the food itself and the price. I have to say, that, yes, in general the cost of the food was more expensive than in a kiosk or a restaurant outside the event, especially the street food, in my opinion.
Personally I've planned to eat only international and ethnic food, using also this opportunity to have something different than Umbrian or Italian. Living in a beautiful, although very little region, it is quite hard to have something that differs from a torta al testo or porchetta, here.

My favourite food experiences at EXPO2015

At EXPO 2015 I had 2 main meals and both ok for the quality/price ratio. One in particular, was really good: the national Eritrean dish zighinì [a sort of beef stew with legumes and mushrooms with a very unique mix of local spices] that for family reasons I've tasted many times in other occasions and restaurants. The cost: 10.50 Euro. For the second meal, we were more traditional, in a certain way, choosing Argentina and its famous grilled meat. For a big plate of different grilled meat plus 2 beers and 2 empanadas [an Argentinian version of the Italian calzone, thin bread stuffed with meat and cheese]: 39 Euros to share in two people.
A nice experience was at the French pavilion. The French that they always know how to do it better, have brought to Milan an authentic boulangerie, baking "on site" tons and tons of baguette breads and croissants.
In particular I had one of their pain au chocolat, still hot, very good similar to the ones tasted in a [big] pastry shop in the heart of Paris: 2.50 Euros.
Then, not bad was the apple strudel at the Austrian pavilion for Euro 5 [even if I definitely had better ones in their Country].

Feeding the planet or just a big show?
Personally I enjoyed my time at EXPO 2015 a lot. It was my very first few-days break after an intense Summer of work, I was there basically only to have fun and my professional "enrichment" from this experience was not a priority.
EXPO Milano was both for me: a way to reflect once again on the contradictions of modern word about food and, especially, food waste, and for the same reasons, a big, expensive show, where food was at the very same time "the victim and the torturer". The reflection on the huge number of people who are still very far from the basic food needs, together with the huge availability and offer of "all-you-can-eat" to the wealthy EXPO visitor.
And...no. I really don't know, I can't say how many people in the crowds and infinite queues have really caught - under the colored neon lights and the Tree of Life's las-vegas-like-show - the utmost importance of the original message : being able to guarantee healthy, safe and sufficient food for
everyone, while respecting the Planet.

7/06/2015

The tradition and ancient food culture of the two tows Orvieto and Todi are the common thread of the project #TerrediConfine [borderlands] by the local Cultural Association Brumalia.

During the first and inaugural event MELODIE IN VIGNA in Todi last Saturday,Brumalia unveiled the rich programmethat is running in the month of July in both the territories:

JULY 9 - Porano (village close to Orvieto) at Locanda Colle OmbrosoFIORI DA MANGIARE, the ancient tradition of edible flowers: cooking show and food tasting

JULY 11 - Todi at Istituto AgrarioIL BOCCONCELLO: Nonna Villelma and her friends disclose the public the original recipe of Bocconcello, an ancient cheese bread used during the period of the threshing in Todi and other neighbouring towns of Umbria.

JULY 24 - Orvieto at Grotte dei Tronchi FossiliSUONI DEL VINO: young talented drummers reproduce the "sounds of the wine", the sounds of the grape picking, pressing, bottling... Wine tasting with Orvietan wine in pairing with local products.

6/18/2015

#Terrediconfine [borderlands]: Orvieto and Todi

#terrediconfine

Terre di Confine, borderlands could be an unusual word to define the towns of Orvieto and Todi.

Orvieto and Todi are in Umbria. They are part of the same region, they share the same culture and heritage regarding art and history together with an ancient food tradition and outstanding wine production.

Going back in time there are many affinities, they both are hill-top towns, both surrounded by a high circle of walls, food is also quite similar, wine great as well, and the monuments: stunning.

Duomo di Orvieto shines at sunset

If we pay more attention to the details, we immediately notice that there are many differences, Orvieto stays on a impressive rock of tufo a volcanic brown rock, Todi on a gentle rolling hill mostly made of clay.
Orvieto has its incredible Duomo, one of the masterpieces of Italian art. In Todi there is the Temple of Consolazione, a unique "greek-cross" church with its spectacular domes.

Orvietan traditional pasta is umbrichelli, a sort of thick spaghetti made of flour and water, in Todi there are tagliatelle, flat pasta made also by eggs. Although in both the towns bread is without salt, Orvieto has a speciality: Lumachella, a snail-shape rich bread, while Todi has Pane Nociato, with noci, walnuts.

Santa Maria della Consolazione in Spring - Todi

Orvieto and Todi are both D.O.C wine area, both famous for their white wines: Orvieto with its Orvieto Classico, a blend of different local grapes, while Todi for Grechetto, a single variety wine...

In the next weeks thanks to the new Cultural Association "Brumalia" in which we are directly and strictly involved, both in Orvieto and Todi there will be a series of activities and events focused on this topic: Terre di Confine, borderlands.

In the meantime we have just launched the hashtag #terrediconfine on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook where everyone is invited - and very welcome - to post and share in Italian or in English your passion "from A to Z" for one of the two towns or..even better, for both!

5/14/2015

Top 5 events&festivals in May in Umbria

Spring has arrived in Umbria, better calling it "pre-Summer", thanks to the very pleasant temperatures and stable weather of the last weeks.

Starting from this month Umbria is opening its long season of Summer Festivals, a great time to enjoy our region, not only for tourists but also for local people, ready to start celebrating the bella stagione"al fresco" with food and wine.

The next three weekends of May are so rich in special events (and we are just mentioning the ones in our town Todi or very close by..) that it's really not easy to make a choice...

1. Porchettiamo - May 15-16-17 2015 - San TerenzianoPorchettiamo is "the" festival to celebrate one of the most famous Umbrianstreet food: porchetta, the traditional roast pork. The villages of San Terenziano and Grutti are famous in the region for their pork production.
This "typical and
delicious food, rich in history, both noble and popular, has always been the street, square, fair and market-food". All the
porchetta producers at Porchettiamo have been carefully selected by the organizers
according to
quality, craftsmanship and authenticity.

Todi: Medieval buildings and flowers

2. Todi Fiorita - May 22-23-24 2015 - Todi
The beautiful centre of Todi is hosting Todi Fiorita,
national exhibition of Flower Gardening in Piazza del Popolo, organized by the local Association Verde Todi. The historical
places of our town are going to be the locations of blooming gardens, scents and aromas.
This year special guided tours to discover "the secrets gardens" run by our friends at Todiguide.com [follow and tag on Instagram and Twitter #secretgardens #Todinondatutti]

3. Orvieto in Fiore - May 20-24 2015 - Orvieto
Scents of flowers also in Orvieto. Conferences and food events, wine tasting and ancient arts and crafts, like the famous Merletto (embroidery)di Orvieto. Beautiful Infiorate (flower carpets) in honor of the traditional Festa della Palombella which takes place on Ascension Day on Sunday 24: a dove "navigating a
route in the air lands in a special canopy at the entrance of the
Cathedral".

My great time in Castel Ritaldi last year

4. Eventi a Castello - May 22-23-24 2015 - Castel Ritaldi
We enjoyed a lot this event last year in the cozy village of Castel Ritaldi, located in the beautiful area of production of Sagrantino wine.
The rich programme whose title this year is "dalla terra alla tavola", from the land to the table, includes food tasting, pic nic and guided walks foraging for greens.

5. Cantine Aperte - May 30-31 2015 - All over UmbriaThis is the most
important wine event of the year , involving wine as the main
protagonist together with the people who produce it and the territory
where it is made. Since 1993, during the the last Sunday of May, the members of the association "Movimento Turismo del Vino" have opened their doors to the public establishing in this way an immediate and direct contact
with all wine tourists and lovers.

This year many wineries among our most favourite ones are also organizing the so-called "Cena con vignaiolo"on Saturday 30 [reservations required]. A dinner with the winemakers and owners to enjoy special food, taste amazing wines and, above all, to get in touch with the real people involved inthe charming art of wine making.

[If you know or organize a food/wine/cultural festival in Umbria in May, contact us. We'll be very happy to post it on our blog.]

2/25/2015

Great things come for those who wait: Anteprima Sagrantino 2011

Sagrantino, the red muscle wine of Umbria, the "king of tannins" had its days of glory this week, during Anteprima Sagrantino held in Montefalco on the 23rd and 24th February 2015.
The event, organized by Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco (association of local producers), represented the debut of vintage 2011 to the press and operators.

Why vintage 2011 in 2015?
According to the regulation of production Sagrantino needs to be aged in barrels (and refined in bottle) for a minimun of 37 months, that it's more than 3 years. This long aging period is necessary to tame the wild tannins typical of this grape, to turn their natural strength into elegant notes.

Vintage 2011 vs. harvest 2014
Anteprima Sagrantino also offered the opportunity to make important considerations between vintage 2011 and harvest 2014 (whose vintage will be released in 3 years).
Two very different years, characterized by very opposite seasons: hot and dry the first, cold and wet the second.
I'm sure that those who traveled to Umbria (and Italy) last Summer remember the very strange weather that we had, not the typical Mediterranean season, with peaks of heat and lack of water, but humid and less warm.

The last will be the first
An ancient proverb says: "the vine needs to suffer", meaning that, in a certain sense, the vine needs to be stressed to produce a good wine. Between a dry and hot season and a rainy and damp one, the first it's definitely better. Humidity is the enemy number one for the vine as it makes the perfect environment for fungus and diseases.
During Spring and Summer 2014 protecting the grapes from adversities was really difficult. All over the region and the Country, 2014 was a very demanding year in terms of agronomic management of the vineyards.
However, where this management was prudent, accurate, very scientific and - at the same time - full of passion and devotion (not only in Montefalco area, everywhere also for other varieties) - the quality of the grapes was more than satisfying.
Sagrantino is a late grape, its harvest time begins one month and even more later than the other varieties like Sangiovese, for example. A peculiar characteristic that par chance helped this grapevine, considering the seasonal trend.
While Spring and Summer were very rainy, October and also the beginning of November (period of ripening/harvest for Sagrantino) was warm, dry and sunny. A favourable weather for late varieties.

The table below, although quite "technical", shows that the data connected to all the important parameters are not so different between vintage 2011 and 2014, considering the very difficult year. Vintage 2014 will not have bad surprises when ready to be released. Probably even this year will lead to good balanced Sagrantino.

[Speech/slide by Oenologist Riccardo Cotarella]

The tasting room: 25 wineries 200 labels to taste

Vintage 2011 my first impressions
I tasted "randomly" some samples from the 25 wineries that took part to the event (I couldn't try all the 200 labels, sorry) and I can say that 2011 tasted really good. In particular, I was very impressed by the incredible bouquet: the blackberries and blueberries together with an intense hint of spices are perfectly balanced and very elegant.
Giving that Sagrantino is a wine that needs to stay in bottle for some months (some wines were bottled just few time ago, some other were "barrel samples") the tannins demanded some more weeks to express more elegance i.e. they will be in perfect shape for your next wine tour in Spring and Summer!